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Japan's JX shuts 110,000 bpd Mizushima topper unit after fire

Published October 8, 2013 Updated October 8, 2013 05:00am

TOKYO: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp, Japan's top oil refiner and a unit of JX Holdings Inc, said it shut its 110,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) No. 3 topper unit at its Mizushima B refinery in western Japan after a fire broke out on Monday.

The fire occurred near a heating furnace of the topper unit around 5:20 p.m. (0820 GMT) on Monday and was extinguished by 7:45 p.m. (1045 GMT), the company said in a statement. No one was injured.

The company is investigating the cause of the fire and it does not know when the unit will restart, a spokesman said. It will maintain output by using stockpiles or increasing production at other facilities, he said.